This playlist is my musical tribute to all the LBGTs out there; some of whom I’m enriched enough to call my friends. I’ve chosen these songs because of their lyrical relevance -- and also because they are uplifting pieces of music; fit for celebrating diversity.

Among them is Pet Shop Boys’ ‘To Speak is a Sin’, which harks back to gay bars of the early 80’s and the quiet desperation and hopeful optimism of picking someone up. In Erasure’s ‘Hideaway’, Andy Bell sings of enduring family rejection after coming out, while Placebo’s in-your-face ‘Nancy Boy’ explores androgynous sexuality and distorted gender roles. For some reason Depeche Mode’s ‘Never Let Me Down Again’ makes me think of dogging.